Predictive factors of problematic smartphone use in young Spanish university students.

Smartphones have evolved from being a helpful tool in our days to be an indispensable complement. Its presence in our daily lives has grown to reach a problematic use on occasions. This fact is even more remarkable when we speak of young adults and adolescents, in which problematic situations can be identified as derived from its use.

[Eating disorders and obesity in adolescents: Another challenge of our times].

Obesity (OB) and feeding and eating disorders (FED) are complex and prevalent pathologies in ado lescents. OB has been shown to be a risk factor for developing binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, and vice versa, these FED also develop OB. However, obese adolescents may present atypical or sub-threshold criteria for FED.

Effects of Oral Administration of Silymarin in a Juvenile Murine Model of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis.

The increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adolescents is challenging the global care system. No therapeutic strategies have been defined so far, and changes in the lifestyle remain the only alternative. In this study, we assessed the protective effects of silymarin in a juvenile non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model and the in vitro effects on fat-laden human hepatocytes.

Hepatocyte-derived macrophage migration inhibitory factor mediates alcohol-induced liver injury in mice and patients.

Background & Aims: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multi-potent cytokine that contributes to the inflammatory response to injury. MIF is expressed by multiple cell types; however, the cellular source and actions of MIF in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are not well known. Here we tested the hypothesis that non-myeloid cells, specifically hepatocytes, are an important cellular source of MIF in ALD.

Keypress-Based Musical Preference Is Both Individual and Lawful.

Musical preference is highly individualized and is an area of active study to develop methods for its quantification. Recently, preference-based behavior, associated with activity in brain reward circuitry, has been shown to follow lawful, quantifiable patterns, despite broad variation across individuals. These patterns, observed using a keypress paradigm with visual stimuli, form the basis for relative preference theory (RPT).

An Animal Model for the Juvenile Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) are the hepatic manifestations of the metabolic syndrome; worrisome is the booming increase in pediatric age. To recreate the full spectrum of juvenile liver pathology and investigate the gender impact, male and female C57Bl/6 mice were fed with high fat diet plus fructose in the drinking water (HFHC) immediately after weaning (equal to 3-years old human), and disease progression followed for 16 weeks, until adults (equal to 30-years old human). 100% of subjects of both genders on HFHC diet developed steatosis in 4weeks, and some degree of fibrosis in 8weeks, with the 86% of males and 15% of females presenting a stage 2 fibrosis at 16weeks.

Determining optimal pattern sequences for three-dimensional structured light sensory systems.

Structured light (SL) techniques are used for three-dimensional (3D) measurements of objects in a wide variety of applications. SL-based sensory systems obtain the 3D surface profile of an object from the deformation of light patterns projected onto the object of interest. The number of fringes used in the projected light patterns has a direct effect on the 3D reconstruction errors.

The Pros and the Cons for the Use of Silybin-Rich Oral Formulations in Treatment of Liver Damage (NAFLD in Particular).

The increasing prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) worldwide is becoming a challenge for the modern global care system. The lipotoxic process is characterized by an oxidative stress followed by a burst of the inflammatory response, prompting the wound healing process (fibrosis), which can ultimately lead to the development of cirrhosis and the subsequent complications. There is no consensus concerning an effective pharmacological treatment.

[Eating disorders risk among obese adolescents].

Background: Preliminary research suggests that eating disorders (ED) are common among overweight teenagers. Missing the diagnosis is a poor prognostic factor.

Aim: To quantify the risk of ED and the effects of age, sex and severity of obesity in obese adolescents.

The importance of the interaction between hepatocyte and hepatic stellate cells in fibrogenesis induced by fatty accumulation.

Background & Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by an initial accumulation of triglycerides that can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which can ultimately evolve to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatic stellate cells play a key role in liver fibrogenesis by an increased activation and an altered profile of genes involved in the turnover of extracellular matrix components. To reproduce in-vitro the functional cell connections observed in vivo it is essential to consider cell-to-cell proximity and interaction.

Functional ruthenium(II)- and iridium(III)-containing polymers for potential electro-optical applications.

The need for novel materials with luminescent properties and advanced processing features requires reliable and reproducible synthetic routes for the design of suitable materials, such as e.g. polypyridyl ruthenium(II) and iridium(III)-containing polymers.

Control of cellular senescence by CPEB.

Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein (CPEB) is a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein that promotes polyadenylation-induced translation. While a CPEB knockout (KO) mouse is sterile but overtly normal, embryo fibroblasts derived from this mouse (MEFs) do not enter senescence in culture as do wild-type MEFs, but instead are immortal. Exogenous CPEB restores senescence in the KO MEFs and also induces precocious senescence in wild-type MEFs.

Total carnitine and acylated carnitine ratio: relationship of free carnitine with lipid parameters in pediatric dialysis patients.

Carnitine has an essential role in the mitochondrial oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. Carnitine deficiency has been described in patients with chronic kidney disease. Total carnitine (TC) deficiency or a lower-than-normal ratio of free carnitine to acylated carnitine (FC:AC) has been shown to be associated with disorders in metabolism and plasma lipids.

Controlled study of enteral arginine supplementation in burned children: impact on immunologic and metabolic status.

Objective: We compared the effects of an arginine-supplemented diet with those of an isocaloric isonitrogenous diet on immune and metabolic response of children with burns.

Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in a burn treatment center of a pediatric hospital in Santiago, Chile. All children (1-5 y of age) admitted within 48 h of a moderate to deep burn injury covering 10% to 40% of total body surface area were evaluated.

Light-emitting iridium(III) and ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes containing quadruple hydrogen-bonding moieties.

A novel compound containing both a 2,2'-bipyridine as well as a 2-ureido-4[1H]-ureidopyrimidinone supramolecular moiety (3) has been synthesised and fully characterized by 1H-NMR, MALDI-TOFMS, UV-vis and IR spectroscopy. Subsequent coordination to iridium and ruthenium polypyridyl precursors allowed the formation of iridium(III) and ruthenium(II) polypyridyl dimers (5 and 7) assembled via quadruple hydrogen-bonding as well as metal coordination interactions. The syntheses and complete characterization of these materials by means of two-dimensional NMR techniques (1H-1H COSY and 1H-1H DOSY) as well as IR and MALDI-TOFMS are described in detail.

[Dialysis dose, nutrition and growth among pediatric patients on peritoneal dialysis].

Background: Stunting is common among pediatric patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Aim: To establish the best profile for urea kinetic variables associated to growth in children on chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Patients And Methods: Twenty patients, aged 1 month to 14 years, 13 males, were followed for 6-12 months, with monthly measurements of weight/age and height/age Z score; plasma creatinine, BUN, protein and albumin and urine and dialysate urea nitrogen, creatinine, protein and albumin.

Intratumoural administration of dendritic cells: hostile environment and help by gene therapy.

Like paratroopers in special operations, dendritic cells (DCs) can be deployed behind the enemy borders of malignant tissue to ignite an antitumour immune response. 'Cross-priming T cell responses' is the code name for their mission, which consists of taking up antigen from transformed cells or their debris, migrating to lymphoid tissue ferrying the antigenic cargo, and meeting specific T cells. This must be accomplished in such an immunogenic manner that specific T lymphocytes would mount a robust enough response as to fully reject the malignancy.

Nitrogen balance studies and Kt/V urea in children undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis.

Currently, urea kinetic modeling has been accepted for the routine evaluation of peritoneal dialysis (PD) through the calculation of Kt/V (normalized whole body urea clearance) and nPNA (normalized protein equivalent of total nitrogen appearance). In pediatric dialysis, the exact meaning of and target values for, those parameters is still under debate. We evaluated the mean values and correlations between Kt/V urea and parameters of nutrition.

Body composition in children on peritoneal dialysis.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) can be used to evaluate total-body bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), fat-free mass (FFM), and fat body mass (FBM), which are all frequently affected in patients (PD) on peritoneal dialysis. We used DEXA to evaluate body composition in children on PD and to establish whether relationships existed with nutrition status, dialytic parameters, and biochemical data. We evaluated 20 PD patients (12 boys, 8 girls).

Synthesis, complete characterization, and enantioselective electrokinetic separation of functionalized ruthenium complex enantiomers.

Electrokinetic chromatography was employed to separate the enantiomers of two novel functionalized ruthenium(II) complexes with different polypyridyl coordination spheres. The use of anionic carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral mobile phase additive resulted in maximum efficiency and resolution for the enantiomer separation of both transition metal complexes. The syntheses of the [4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine]-bis(2,2'-bipyridine)rethenium(II)-bis(tetrafluoroborate) and [4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine]-bis(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bypyridine)ruthenium(II)-bis(tetrafluoroborate) complexes and their complete characterization by means of two-dimensional (1)H and (13)C[(1)H] NMR techniques ((1)H-(1)H COSY and (1)H-(13)C HMQC) as well as elemental analyses and MALDI-TOFMS are described in detail.

Energy expenditure, nutrition status, and body composition in children with cystic fibrosis.

Objective: Undernutrition is a frequent complication in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Elevated energy requirements have been found to be 4% to 33% higher than in controls in some studies. Whether or not this is caused by a primary defect or energy metabolism is still a matter of controversy.

Adequacy and nutrition in pediatric peritoneal dialysis.

Outcomes for pediatric peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are closely related to dialysis adequacy and nutrition, which need to be measured frequently using a number of laboratory parameters. Although the critical meaning of adequacy and nutrition in the long-term prognosis of dialyzed children is well-documented, PD prescriptions are still largely empirical. Our objective was to evaluate nutritional and dialytic parameters in PD children (urea, creatinine, and albumin excretion in dialysate and urine, and daily protein intake); to measure peritoneal equilibration test (PET) results, Kt/V, normalized equivalent of protein nitrogen appearance (nPNA) and nitrogen balance; and to study the correlations between those variables.

Translational repression of a C. elegans Notch mRNA by the STAR/KH domain protein GLD-1.

In C. elegans, the Notch receptor GLP-1 is localized within the germline and early embryo by translational control of glp-1 mRNA. RNA elements in the glp-1 3'untranslated region (3' UTR) are necessary for repression of glp-1 translation in germ cells, and for localization of translation to anterior cells of the early embryo.

Identification of novel mammalian squalene synthase inhibitors using a three-dimensional pharmacophore.

Squalene synthase (E.C. 2.